Anisodamine antagonizes acetylcholine-induced inhibition of adrenergic neurotransmission in the canine saphenous vein.

The effect of anisodamine, an alkaloid structurally related to atropine and isolated from a Chinese herb, on adrenergic neurotransmission was studied using isolated canine saphenous veins. Helical strips of vein were incubated in modified physiological salt solution containing L-(7- 3H)-norepinephrine (3 x 10(-7) mol/L) for two hours and then mounted for isometric tension recording and superfusion. Increases in isometric tension and efflux of total tritiated compounds and 3H-norepinephrine evoked by electrical stimulation were inhibited by acetylcholine (10(-6) mol/L). This effect of acetylcholine was antagonized to comparable levels by anisodamine (10(-6) mol/L) or atropine (10(-6) mol/L). The results demonstrate that anisodamine blocks prejunctional muscarinic receptors.